1. Big Money in the Land of Grapes: Something unusual is happening in the Willamette Valley. One big California industry is expanding north, and moving into the fertile rolling hills of Oregon. Prime Oregon vineyard land is now attracting big money, thanks to high quality sites are selling at a 50 percent to 75 percent discount compared to California acreage.

2. The Engine of Agriculture: N. Nitrogen. Atomic number seven. Unnoticed, untasted, it nevertheless fills our stomachs. It is the engine of agriculture, the key to plenty in our crowded, hungry world. (National Geographic)

3. Brad Kelley, the Farm Boy with 1 Million Acres:Brad Kelley has a million acres to play in. He privately owns 1 million acres of land in the United States — approximately 1,600 square miles of land. Most Americans have never heard of Kelley and that’s the way he wants it. (Western Farm Press)

4. Losing the war on feral hogs: An estimated 750,000-plus feral hogs have been killed each of the past few years in Texas — has it made a dent? Feral hogs have continued their Sherman’s march across the state, with an estimated 2.6 million wreaking havoc. (Houston Chronicle)

5. Honey bee Theft Is on the Rise: There are a few problems with tracking stolen beekeeping stuff. First, there’s no way to tag queens as your own. Unlike cattle, bees aren’t branded. So whoever swipes them gets away with a clean bee, untraceable to its original owner. (Smithsonian)

8. Retired Means a Start to Farming? It’s not just lifelong farmers who feel the pull of the land as they get older. For some Americans, retirement is an opportunity to begin the farming dream. Only 12 percent of beginning farmers are over the age of 65. (Kansas City Star)

9. Cow Islands: The nation's dairy cows are moving closer together. Cows and milk production have shifted north and west, farther from cities, to converge in what economist Mark Stephenson calls "cow islands." (Ravalli Republic)